If Cam Collier wasn’t the steal of the Draft, it may very well end up being Cole Phillips, who was selected by the Atlanta Braves with the 57th overall pick on Sunday night.
Phillips drew a ton of eyes at the 2021 New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series National Tournament, and followed that up with a monster outing at the subsequent National Combine, where he was a no-brainer invite to the Main Event at Citi Field.
Also a participant at the 2020 Underclass Combine, Phillips shined bright in the Big Apple, recording three more strikeouts in his start.
PICK ANALYSIS BY JEREMY BOOTH, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF THE NEW BALANCE BASEBALL FUTURE STARS SERIES: Cole’s a top-15 pick if he doesn’t get hurt. He popped halfway through, and that’s something that people are going through now. There’s some arm action and overall delivery concerns, but part of that is just being too fast, too quick. His age bracket, to have come that far, that quickly, the muscles and ligaments sometimes can’t hold up. I think he’s going to end up coming back better than ever, and we’ll see where that goes. He’s a starter for me, and he’s got the chance to be in the front of the rotation.
Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked seven Super Bowls, 11 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,200 games covered in his career.
An avid card collector and sim racer, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son William, and their beloved dog, Bailey, and cat, Smokey.
